From autochthony to violence? Discursive and coercive social practices of the Mai Mai in Fizi, eastern DR Congo

Judith Verweijen
(2015) AFRICAN STUDIES REVIEW

This article explores the links between autochthony discourses and physical violence through a case study of a Mai-Mai group in the eastern DR Congo. While this group garners support by employing s...
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This article explores the links between autochthony discourses and physical violence through a case study of a Mai-Mai group in the eastern DR Congo. While this group garners support by employing such discourses and related tropes of autodefense (self-defense), there are clear limits to the capacity of these narratives to mobilize for and legitimize violent action. Furthermore, much of the violence committed by the Mai-Mai is not informed directly by notions of autochthony, but is rather geared toward the consolidation of power. This observation should act as a caution against the a priori coding of violence according to the ways it is discursively framed by its protagonists. Resume: Cet article explore les liens entre les discours d'autochtonie et la violence physique a partir de l'etude de cas d'un groupe Mai-Mai dans l'Est de la Republique Democratique du Congo. Alors que ce groupe recueille un soutien favorable en employant de tels discours d'autodefense, utilisant aussi des tropes associees, la capacite de ces recits a mobiliser et a legitimer l'action violente atteint cependant des limites evidentes. En outre, une grande partie des violences commises par les Mai-Mai ne repose pas directement sur la notion d'autochtonie, mais est plutot orientee vers la consolidation du pouvoir. Ce constat devrait agir comme une mise en garde contre l'elaboration a priori de schemas de codification de violence d'apres des narrations construites par leurs protagonistes.

Classification:

A1

Subject:

Social Sciences but is rather geared toward the consolidation of power. This observation should act as a caution against the a priori coding of violence according to the ways it is discursively framed by its protagonists. much of the violence committed by the Mai-Mai is not informed directly by notions of autochthony there are clear limits to the capacity of these narratives to mobilize for and legitimize violent action. Furthermore This article explores the links between autochthony discourses and physical violence through a case study of a Mai-Mai group in the eastern DR Congo. While this group garners support by employing such discourses and related tropes of autodéfense (self-defense)

arather geared toward the consolidation of power. This observation should act as a caution against the a priori coding of violence according to the ways it is discursively framed by its protagonists.

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amuch of the violence committed by the Mai-Mai is not informed directly by notions of autochthony

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athere are clear limits to the capacity of these narratives to mobilize for and legitimize violent action. Furthermore

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aThis article explores the links between autochthony discourses and physical violence through a case study of a Mai-Mai group in the eastern DR Congo. While this group garners support by employing such discourses and related tropes of autodéfense (self-defense)

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